June 2016 Client Spotlight

RHONDA DAVIS

It’s our favorite time again at Pro Fitness! Sharing another life changing success story with you! We are proud to announce that Rhonda Davis has been selected as our June Client of the Month! Rhonda’s story, in her own words:

I began to feel as if a noose was restricting my air. I began to feel as though I’d rather be dead than live this quality of life another day. No exaggeration. To think death as a way out speaks volumes of my thought process at the time. It was then that I knew I needed to bring my body back into balance. I needed my mental health back more than anything else. My kids deserved a better mother. It was 2008, married not even a year when the real estate crash hit. People were losing jobs left and right and my husband was no exception. My survival skills kicked into high gear. I had a 12 year old son to raise and a new baby girl to take care of. I wasn’t going to allow this crash to affect me, nope – not me. My pride got the better of me, for years I was a “Real Estate Queen” and I was going to continue that stature. I was bigger and better than this crash and it was not going to compromise my talent in sales…or so I kept telling myself. Until… ONE DAY IT DID. As I struggled through trying to hold strong, putting on a good face day in and day out acting as if all was well, it began to catch up with me. I went from caring for my son and I on a copious income to caring for 4 people on 1/2 the income but with larger expenses and it became a lofty task to say the least. Finally realizing I was sacrificing my health far too long I stepped back into Pro Fitness to seek help in putting myself back together again. I really felt like Humpty Dumpty and I WAS BROKEN, I mean not just cracked up – I felt all smashed to tiny little pieces. I was defeated. I had created some pretty destructive coping mechanisms so as not to have to deal with many of my issues. I’ll spare you the details and just say that I knew if I lost some weight and got back to eating healthier that my stress and anxiety would be reduced or better managed and that I might come alive again – but that’s all I knew. I needed someone to hold me accountable to my goals, and I needed to be reminded of healthy mindful eating habits so I started training with Doug Van Iten. Doug would say, “all you have to do is show up“. What a breath of fresh air to hear… after helping to make decisions for other people in my career for 13 years – you mean all I had to do was show up and somebody else could just tell me what to do. Phew… what a relief, I thought to myself!!!

Little did I know that working with a trainer would give me so much more than accountability, an education on foods and a break on life for an hour a day. Yes, my Professional Personal Trainer held me to all of my goals and I lost a lot of weight but what I really gained from working with him was a renewed sense of who I am. I anticipated a greater level of confidence and a zest for life that I had always had but I did not expect my passion for life to return as if I were 25 years old again. I did not know I would be brave enough to try out for Roller Derby, or audition for a play, endure 1/2 marathons or get on stage in a squirrel sized bikini fitness competition. I did not expect that I’d want to share health and wellness with the World as if it is the only thing that can make and sustain our happiness. I did not know that I would learn how to eat to fuel my body rather than make it sick with poor food choices. I did not know that when somebody else believes in you that it helps you to believe in yourself. I did not know how much passion and respect I would gain for the lifestyle of being fit, strong and healthy. I did not know I’d want to read, study and research to educate myself further to become even better and to somehow help others. The changes I’ve made have impacted my lifestyle so much that the pastime activities I desire are no longer sedentary, I prefer to always be exploring, hiking, blading, jogging, etc… or just on some sort of adventure and anything to challenge myself. Gotta keep it exciting, gotta keep moving, and always be learning – it is up to only us! My thought process is different, I’ve gained a whole new perspective on life and I’ve returned to an old me that had been buried for so many years. There is so much more that I’ve gained by developing and nurturing a passion for healthy living but this page isn’t long enough…. So, I thank Doug for bringing me out of a major slump I was in and for teaching me what life is all about again. Because he believed in me I began to believe in myself. Don’t ever underestimate the effect or the power you may have in someones life – you never know who your helping or just how much you are. I thank all of the great staff and other trainers as well, they’ve all been a part of my journey.

And, thank you to all of the awesome friends I’ve made at the Pro Fitness Family Iron Play Ground – you’ve all been an amazing group of people to be around and I love you all dearly.